Summer Movies: Hex, Spies and a Videogame

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MacGruber

Hook: A goofball operative harbors delusions of grandeur in this parody of ’80s/’90s TV show MacGyver.

Assets: On Saturday Night Live, writer-star Will Forte milks laughs from his mulleted character’s incompetence during dire situations, and always-hilarious Kristen Wiig throws ridiculous fuel on the comedic fire. Amplifying the stakes for the big screen: actor Val Kilmer, who will likely have ham juice drizzling down his chin as he chews into the role of bad guy Dieter Von Cunth.

Leading question:MacGruber director Jorma Taccone shoots funny shorts for SNL, but can he stretch a short TV gag into a 90-minute feature?

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Hook: Ubisoft’s swords-and-sandals videogame comes to life in a blaze of CGI glory. The story centers on a handsome hero intent on protecting an ancient dagger imbued with the power to reverse time.

Assets: In Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, comely Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans) plays the mysterious princess who inspires Jake Gyllenhaal’s title character in his quest. Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and cinematographer John Seale (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) draw on a strong fantasy-action pedigree.

Leading question: The ability to stage outlandishly heroic feats that don’t get swallowed up by the CGI scenery is a rare one. Will this Jerry Bruckheimer production take a ponderous turn like Clash of Titans?

Micmacs

Hook: Unlucky dreamer Bazil is damaged by a landmine and gets hit with a stray bullet before teaming with a band of eccentrics. Together, Remington, Calculator, Buster, Slammer, Elastic Girl, Tiny Pete, Mama Chow and Bazil stage a counterattack on the weapons giant that ruined their lives.

Assets: Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet has one of the best eyes in the business. Known for the whimsical Amelie, this French filmmaker conjured a dazzling dystopia in City of Lost Children and displayed visual daring even with his Hollywood misfire Alien Resurrection.

Leading question: An actor named Dany Boon plays the lead in Micmacs. Can a starless picture with a bizarre title attract crowds during popcorn season?

Leading question: Directing a non-original story for the first time could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for auteur Shyamalan. Will Airbender mark a return to form after his widely heckled 2008 dud The Happening?

Predators

Hook: Rebooting 1987’s original Predator, this monster movie chronicles the mayhem that ensues when humans are unloosed on a planet-wide game preserve set up for alien hunters’ amusement.

Asset: When Texas-based producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal previewed their Predators clips at the South by Southwest film festival in March, the consensus was clear: The updated creatures designed by effects artist Greg Nicotero are nasty as hell.

Leading question:Predator sequels ran low on inspiration. Can Rodriguez and his team reanimate the gnarly extraterrestrials for a new generation?

Salt

Hook: Espionage thriller backs CIA officer Evelyn Salt into the corner when she’s accused of spying for the Russians.

Asset: Angelina Jolie, moviedom’s finest female action star, kicked plenty of ass in Tomb Raider, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted. For Salt, she teams with Aussie director Phillip Noyce. Adept at making thoughtful political thrillers like The Quiet American, Noyce should coax some Serious Actress moves from Jolie in between the film’s shoot’em-up sequences.

Leading question: Russian spycraft routinely fueled dramatic friction in movies made during the Iron Curtain era, but will Cold War paranoia resonate with contemporary filmgoers?

The Adjustment Bureau

Hook: Inspired by a Philip K. Dick story, The Adjustment Bureau hurls a politician into the arms of a mysterious ballerina and chronicles the surreal consequences.

Asset: When he played Jason Bourne, Matt Damon proved a master of teeth-on-knuckle suspense. Teamed with the formidable Emily Blunt, Damon should scare up some smart twists as he digs into the surreal edges of this thriller, directed by Bourne Ultimatum writer George Nolfi.

Leading question: Making a great thriller is no easy task, as Damon and Bourne sequels director Paul Greengrass learned on their underwhelming The Green Zone. Will Bureau reconnect Damon with his nail-biting sweet spot?

Leading question: Since his breakthrough on TV’s Arrested Development, Cera has made the most of his dry Canadian charm. Does Scott Pilgrim vs. the World send the talented actor to the shy/funny/sensitive well once too often?